Anglo American expects to get a license to expand its Minas-Rio iron ore project in Brazil by Q2 2019, a company’s executive told Reuters this week. Anglo American also expects to resume operations at Minas-Rio by Q4 this year, following two slurry pipeline incidents.
Anglo American Brazil CEO Ruben Fernandes said the halt at Minas-Rio doesn’t affect the company’s process to get a license for the expansion. “These are different processes,” he said. “The slurry pipeline is licensed by (federal environmental regulator) Ibama,” he said. Step 3 licensing for the project is a separate process, which doesn’t interfere with the restart of the Minas-Rio project, halted due to incidents at sections of the slurry pipeline.
The executive confirmed an inspection at parts of the slurry pipeline should soon be completed. The 529 km long (328 miles) pipeline connects cities in the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.
The Minas-Rio iron ore project is made up of an open pit mine, a beneficiation plant producing high-grade pellet feed, and the slurry pipeline.
The Minas-Rio step 3 installing license was granted in January 2018 following delays in 2017. Anglo initially expected to complete the “full step 3” with an operational license by mid-2019. When completed, the Minas-Rio iron ore project should reach a 26.5 million mt per year capacity.